2005 and 2013
I've been saying that The Last Enchantments is my first contemporary novel, but that's not entirely true. The book is actually set in 2005. That seems like yesterday to me, but I'm beginning to realize as I fact-check the book that it was actually a while ago.
For instance: the first generation iPhone was released in June, 2007, meaning that the characters in the book wouldn't have known it. I have them text each other a lot, but I guess it must have been on flip-phones (I vaguely remember owning a Motorola Crazr).
Facebook's another big one. I signed up for the site in 2005, when it was still restricted to university students. Some of the characters are on it, others aren't...there's even a Facebook party in the book, where you have to add the host as a friend to enter.
I thought about this and started looking at the Wikipedia entry for 2005:
- In January George Bush was inaugurated
- In April Pope John Paul II died
- In August, Hurricane Katrina made landfall; that's chilling to think about, and is part of the book...
- In October Saddam Hussein's trial began.
It's strange to realize that this book, which is about a time in my own life, is already set nearly a decade in the past. What's a fact about 2005 that makes you feel old? What do you remember about that year? Where were you in life? What were you reading?
For my part, I was in Oxford, and I think was probably reading Anthony Powell's "Dance to the Music of Time" around eight years ago at this point...I made it through the whole thing eventually. I doubt I'll ever read it again, which is a bit of a funny feeling. Time flies.
For instance: the first generation iPhone was released in June, 2007, meaning that the characters in the book wouldn't have known it. I have them text each other a lot, but I guess it must have been on flip-phones (I vaguely remember owning a Motorola Crazr).
Facebook's another big one. I signed up for the site in 2005, when it was still restricted to university students. Some of the characters are on it, others aren't...there's even a Facebook party in the book, where you have to add the host as a friend to enter.
I thought about this and started looking at the Wikipedia entry for 2005:
- In January George Bush was inaugurated
- In April Pope John Paul II died
- In August, Hurricane Katrina made landfall; that's chilling to think about, and is part of the book...
- In October Saddam Hussein's trial began.
It's strange to realize that this book, which is about a time in my own life, is already set nearly a decade in the past. What's a fact about 2005 that makes you feel old? What do you remember about that year? Where were you in life? What were you reading?
For my part, I was in Oxford, and I think was probably reading Anthony Powell's "Dance to the Music of Time" around eight years ago at this point...I made it through the whole thing eventually. I doubt I'll ever read it again, which is a bit of a funny feeling. Time flies.
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Sherri
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Sep 25, 2013 11:20AM
Wow! Had to think where I was and what my "to read" bookshelf looked like for this one! :) I do remember reading History of Love, by Nicole Krauss; Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince; Time Traveler's wife; and Anna Karenina. That's all I can remember, but I feel pretty good at remembering these!! Haha
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P.S. Meant to add that I cannot wait for both of your books to come out! The way time is fleeting, it won't be long now! (yay!!)
I can't wait to read The Last Enchantments! In 2005, I graduated from college in the spring and started law school the following autumn, so it's a year that evokes a strong feeling of nostalgia for me. Technology is the thing that makes me feel the oldest. (That, and the prevalence of boot cut jeans). Ipods were still relatively new, and I remember owning a hot pink Motorola Razr with "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs as the ring tone. Because that was back when everyone used songs as ring tones. I didn't think it was possible for technology to get any better than my pink flip phone and silver iPod mini.
Another thing I remember is spending nearly every weeknight sitting alone in a coffee house, drinking jasmine herbal tea and writing my senior thesis. It sounds so lonely in retrospect, but I really did enjoy it at the time. I'm not sure I would want to be 21 again, but I loved the year 2005.
I guess that whether or not 2005 is contemporary or not is based on where you are in life. At 59, eight years feels pretty contemporary. I had to think about what my family was doing in 2005 to figure out my life. My son was in college; we were teaching our daughter to drive that year. I was working hard as a librarian - my library was renovating one of our branches that year. I hadn't started keep track of my reading on GoodReads, so heaven knows what I was reading.
I know I had a cell phone, but I barely text now, so I wasn't doing that then.
2005 wasn't that long ago and I am looking forward to revisiting that time through The Last Enchantments
Sherri wrote: "Wow! Had to think where I was and what my "to read" bookshelf looked like for this one! :) I do remember reading History of Love, by Nicole Krauss; Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince; Time Trav..."Sherri, four great books! I looked it up and you're right, that's when the 6th Harry Potter came out...which means I was reading it too, because I remember buying it the day it came out. :)
Whitney wrote: "I can't wait to read The Last Enchantments! In 2005, I graduated from college in the spring and started law school the following autumn, so it's a year that evokes a strong feeling of nostalgia fo..."Whitney, you should be (or maybe are?) a writer, this was so evocative and funny, especially the line about boot cut jeans. Also the Yeah Yeah Yeahs make an appearance in the book!
Patty wrote: "I guess that whether or not 2005 is contemporary or not is based on where you are in life. At 59, eight years feels pretty contemporary. I had to think about what my family was doing in 2005 to..."
Patty, I loved this post, thanks so much
Charles wrote: "Sherri wrote: "Wow! Had to think where I was and what my "to read" bookshelf looked like for this one! :) I do remember reading History of Love, by Nicole Krauss; Harry Potter & the Half Blood Pr..."It was easy to remember once I got started, as I was living in Brooklyn in 2005. I had 8 great years of reading during my subway commutes to and from mid-town; and anywhere else I landed in between, as I always had a book in my bag! It was during these years I re-read great classics, and every Wilkie Collins book I could get my hands on. I miss that guaranteed time to read!
That was the year I went on my first trip to London. (the first of seven and can't wait for number 8) It was the year I started writing my first novel, that beautiful, pretentious piece of crap that will likely never see the light of day without a serious overall. And it was the year my world became upended when I lost my job. But if that hadn't happened I wouldn't have gone to Europe 4 times the next year, devoted a lot of time to writing, and found myself and my love of reading again. It was a year that helped me to redefine my priorities (especially the necessity of regular vacations that reinvigorate my soul). As Dickens said.. "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"... it was a year that have everything all rolled into one.
I know, 2005 feels like just a very short time ago, hard to believe sometimes it's been eight years! I was a junior in high school in 2005! I think technology is one aspect of life in particular, which makes the lapse of time feel more pronounced some days, and our growing dependence on it, and the constant newness of everything we have to learn to adapt to (I only say iphone 4,5,6,7...)On a whole, there have been great changes since 2005 and horrible tragedies as well. Such is life.
I generally read books that are relatively contemporary or set at least sixty years in the past. The 50s, 60s, 70s, and even the 80s somehow feel dated to me sometimes (it's kind of like watching a movie like "Hannah and Her Sisters" and puzzling over Michael Caine's 'sexy' glasses), there's a bit of a disconnect. Still, if there plot and characters are engaging enough, the setting can be accommodated:)
I am looking forward to a little time travel in 'The Last Enchantments', especially because it's a time I remember well myself.
